Construction of Baicalein-Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles for Staphylococcus aureus-Induced Lung Infection Remission

  • Int J Nanomedicine. 2025 Oct 1:20:12009-12018. doi: 10.2147/IJN.S534294.
Jizhao Wang  1 ,  Rui Zhu  2  3 ,  Kaibo Yang  2  3 ,  Zitong Lei  4 ,  Xing Zhang  2  3 ,  Yuchen Sun  5 ,  Xiaozhi Zhang  5
Affiliations
  • 1. Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
  • 2. Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
  • 3. Key Laboratory of Surgical Critical Care and Life Support (Xi'an Jiaotong University), Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
  • 4. Department of Critical Care Nephrology and Blood Purification, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiao-Tong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, People's Republic of China.
  • 5. Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
PMID: 41054631 DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S534294
Abstract

Purpose: In this study, we constructed baicalein (a traditional Chinese medicine)-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (a drug-delivery system) with great biocompatibility for the remission of Staphylococcus aureus-induced lung Infection.

Methods: The nanoparticles were prepared via a one-step reaction. Baicalein-release rates were studied via ultraviolet absorption assays. Morphology was characterized using AFM and TEM. The Antibacterial mechanism of the nanoparticles was studied through ONPG, crystal violet staining, and live/dead Bacterial staining assays, anti-inflammatory performance investigated via ELISA and WB assays, and in vivo anti-lung-infection capacity studied via H&E staining and ELISA kits.

Results: The average size of the nanoparticles was uniform (~200 nm), and the zeta potential was about 18.5 ± 0.3 mV. The encapsulation efficiency was about 40%. The release of baicalein was >80% under different temperatures and pH. Dry nanoparticles were also stable. The minimum inhibitory concentration against S. aureus was about 15 μg/mL. The maximum tolerable dose in vivo was 300 μg/kg. The nanoparticles exhibited outstanding anti-inflammatory and anti-lung-infection performance.

Conclusion: The in vitro and in vivo results demonstrate that our drug-delivery system could be an efficient platform for the remission of bacterium-induced lung Infection.

Keywords
Staphylococcus aureus; baicalein; lung infection.
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